SAN ANTONIO – There is no greater feeling in team sports than winning a national championship, except, of course, cutting down the nets with teammates as closely knit as those on the Connecticut Huskies.

In an era when players often think of themselves first, Connecticut, a team of stars and subs, role players and redshirts, found a common bond: Each other.

The wonderfully-tight Huskies won their second national championship in five years last night by overwhelming Georgia Tech 82-73. Emeka Okafor followed up his 18-point second-half performance against Duke with a dominating 24-point, 15-rebound effort.

“I want to thank a team that can really play and that I really fell in love with,” Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said after the game.

“Sometimes you’re blessed with teams that are incredibly talented. Sometimes you’re blessed with teams that are talented, but sometimes there’s chaos, things that seem to happen. But sometimes you’re blessed, as I have been this year, with having kids who think the same way . . . They want to compete, they want to win, and they have great self-belief.”

That belief was shaken early this season when the Ramblin’ Wreck beat Connecticut, 77-61. Okafor (back) was not healthy. Charlie Villanueva was not eligible. And Taliek Brown of Queens was flat awful.

“Georgia Tech has seen us before, but I don’t think they’ve seen the real Connecticut,” said freshman forward Josh Boone.

Tech did last night. The Post’s preseason pick to win the national championship delivered in a big way, taking a 41-25 halftime lead and never looking back.

With the strains of “One Shining Moment” filling the Alamodome, the Huskies (33-6) stood on the winner’s podium and watched a highlight film of their championship run in which they won six tournament games by an average of 13.3 points.

“They pretty much outplayed us in every phase of the game,” said Tech guard Jarrett Jack. “They came out hard and we dug ourselves a big hole. All the credit to them. They’re a great team.”

A great team with great players. Okafor, the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, should be the first pick in the NBA Draft. Ben Gordon of Mt. Vernon scored 21 points. Josh Boone, Rashad Anderson, Hilton Armstrong and Brown had six boards each as UConn outrebounded Tech, 50-43.

“I’ve played on a lot of good basketball teams in high school and AAU but I’ve never been on a team as close as this one,” said Boone. “You don’t always find that at such a high level. A lot of guys are worried about themselves. On this team, we worry about each other and what it takes to win.”

The Huskies certainly had chances to implode. Forward Marcus White, who grabbed 14 rebounds in a Big East Conference tournament semifinal game last season, agreed to redshirt to make room for Boone and Villanueva of Brooklyn.

Villanueva was unable to play in the first six games while the NCAA cleared his eligibility. Backup point guard Marcus Williams lost his academic eligibility. Denham Brown lost his starting job late in the season to Rashad Anderson.

“I would think in 32 years, I probably haven’t had a team with less maintenance,” continued Calhoun. “I mean that very honestly. They seem to strive to want to be better.”

Calhoun was surrounded by players past and present. There were tears and hugs. There was a bond forged from working, sweating and ultimately winning.

“It’s great to have all the former player here like Rip (Richard Hamilton), Donnie Marshall and Ray [Allen]. These guys are my posse. It’s a family.”

—-

TALE OF TWO GAMES

Last night’s 82-73 UConn victory over Georgia Tech in the NCAA Championship game was a near-reversal of the teams’ first meeting in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT on Nov. 26. With UConn’s Emeka Okafor hampered by back spasms, Tech won that game, 77-61. Here’s a look at three key players from each team and their points in both games: